The Warrior Is A Child
by neko-chibi-faithkitty
Summary: One-shot. Songfic. Bits and pieces of Kenshin’s life after the war. Rated for suggested violence.


**A/N: **Hello ever'body! I was in the car and this song came on the radio and I had this great idea. The song is "The Warrior Is A Child" by Twila Paris, and the characters are all from Ruroni Kenshin. I own neither. The story is bits and pieces from both the series and the OVA. It does go all the way through, but it by no means covers everything. So, if you don't want to know what happens at the end of the last OVA, I wouldn't read this until you've seen the last OVA. By the way, I'm writting this at 3 in the morning, so there are more than likely a lot os spelling mistakes, pleasehave mercy onme for them.I'll post a better version that I've gone over more thoroughly after I've had some sleep.Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

_Lately I've been winning battles left and right  
But even winners can get wounded in the fight  
People say that I'm amazing, strong beyond my years  
But they don't see inside of me I'm hiding all the tears_

"Are you sure about this path?" His master asked him. Kenshin looked at the man he had served during the war.(1)

"Yes."

"But Kenshin…" Katsura paused, sighing at the young man's determined face. "Very well. You have served me better than any man I ever paid. I'll grant you your freedom."

"Thank you, Master."

"There's no need to call me that." The older man reprimanded kindly. "You are no longer my slave, but a very dear friend."

The redhead nodded. "Very well… Katsura." Then he turned and began walking away.

"Kenshin!" Katsura called after him. "You'd better get rid of that sword. You've got a violent trigger-hair."

The redhead turned and looked at him. "Sir?"

"Nevermind."

"Yes, Master." Kenshin turned as Katsura sighed his irritation. As the redhead walked away from the final battlefield, the images of the men he had killed that day flashed before his eyes, and a single unnoticed tear slipped past his defensive eyes.

_They don't know that I go runnin' home when I fall down  
They don't know who picks me up when no-one is around  
I drop my sword and cry for just a while  
'Cause deep inside this armor the warrior is a child_

Kenshin slept fitfully. In his dreams he fought Kyosato's father all over again, and he killed Tomoe all over again. He cried out as he felt his blade glide through her torso. Suddenly his eyes flew open as he felt someone touch his shoulder. Instantly he sprang to life, pressing his dagger against the throat of the person who had woken him. It was a woman who worked at the inn. Her eyes were closed tightly, and he watched fascinated as her lips moved in a silent prayer. Slowly he removed the blade.

"You are lucky." He told her. "Had this happened a fortnight ago, you would have been dead."

She looked up at him confused. "I'm sorry." She apologized. "You were crying out in your sleep." He merely watched her with his dispassionate violet orbs. "I should leave now." The woman said nervously, and she quickly made good her escape.

The former assassin listened as the door closed, but his eyes never left the place where she had fallen. It was the first time since Tomoe that someone had woken him and lived to tell of it. Tomoe… He leant against his books once more, never noticing as a single tear slipped past his shadowed eyes.

_Unafraid because his armor is the best  
But even soldiers need a quiet place to rest  
People say that I'm amazing, never face retreat  
But they don't see the enemy who lay at his feet_

It had been a very long time. People had almost forgotten the legendary Hitokiri Battousai, and know they only saw the harmless wanderer. Slowly he trudged through this new town. His stomach grumbled in disagreement of its empty state.

"Hold it right there, Battousai The Manslayer!" He froze. Perhaps they did remember. Slowly he turned to look at his opponent. He was stunned to see a young woman glaring angrily at him.

"P-Pardon, but I am merely a harmless wanderer, that I am." He said sadly.

She frowned at him. "Prove it." Slowly he pulled out his Sakabato. She gasped when she saw it. The strange girl was about to say more when they heard a sharp whistle. She dropped his peculiar weapon, and took off down a nearby side street. Frowning he followed her. He watched as a great ogre of a man attacked the girl. His eyes growing wide he ran between them and managed to get her out of the way of his attack. Then man took off running proclaiming that he was the legendary master-assassin of the revolution. 'Will they never let it die?' The violet eye-man thought sadly to himself. No one saw when a single tear slipped past his haunted eyes.

_They don't know that I go runnin' home when I fall down  
They don't know who picks me up when no-one is around  
I drop my sword and cry for just a while  
'Cause deep inside this armor the warrior is a child_

The small samurai quietly made his way up the mountainside. Silently he slipped behind his first true owner. With the stealth of a hunting tiger he attacked the man, knowing it was in vain. The man disappeared and reappeared behind the redhead.(2)

"Still my young and foolish apprentice." The man Hiko said, his tone unreadable.

"Master." Kenshin returned, just as indecipherably.

"Why have you returned?"

"To finish learning what you would teach, Master."

Hiko frowned. "Get out of my sight."

"But Master!"

"Why should I teach one who did not wish to learn?"

The now angry redhead glared at his master. "Because lives depend on it."

"No." Came the cold reply. Then the taller man turned and left.

Kenshin stood. Staring after the stubborn man. But he could be just as stubborn. When Sejiro Hiko reached his small abode, he found the slight redhead kneeling at door. Growling in irritation, he brushed past the younger man and into his home. "You are more a fool than I thought." Hiko said as he passed. "You are not my apprentice. Just I told you, you are now nothing more than a common murderer, and until you can prove that you are more than that, I do not know you."(3)

Kenshin looked up. He blinked, startled by the harsh words. Master had never spoken to him like that before, so full of hatred and contempt. Did Master think he didn't know how much blood was on his hands? Did he think Kenshin felt himself blameless for taking so many lives? Kenshin stared at the closed door, Hiko's words washing over him again and again. Did Master hate him? As he listened to them in his mind, a single unseen tear slipped past his desolate eyes.

_They don't know that I go runnin' home when I fall down  
They don't know who picks me up when no-one is around  
I drop my sword and look up for a smile  
'Cause deep inside this armor…_

Kenshin winced as the woman doctor touched a particularly tender place on his abused back. Her hands were gentle, but his back was also very raw. As he felt her put the last bandage in place he smiled slightly. "Thank you Megumi-dono." He said kindly. The he gasped as he felt her forehead touch the bare skin of his back. He blinked as the salt of her tears mixed with the open wounds on his back making them sting.

"Ken-san…"

"Megumi-dono…"

"Ken-san, please, don't ever do that to her again." The woman said softly. 'To us.'

Kenshin sighed uncomfortably. "Yes, Megumi-dono." He heard he sniffle slightly, then the warmth of her forehead left his back. Slowly he felt her replace his clothing, hiding the new scars.

"Misao-chan told me that you had something left here in Kyoto to attend to. Please, tend to it quickly. It's killing Kaoru to have to see you here." She stood quickly and left the room.

"Yes, Megumi-dono." He said, knowing she couldn't hear him. Then he sighed. Had Kaoru really been that upset? He always seemed to make everyone around him sad. Kaoru, Sano, Yahiko, Megumi…Tomoe. All of their sadness had been his fault. Silently he cursed the cruel twist of fate that had led him down the path of the manslayer. A single unseen tear slipped past his sinful eyes.

_Deep inside this armor…_

Kenshin followed the others along the familiar path that led to Kaoru's dojo. Yahiko and Sano eagerly cried out for food. He watched, an outsider, as the talked of eating when they got 'home'. Kenshin smiled sadly. Yes, the others would be home soon. He sighed as he thought of that time, long ago on his father's farm, then later of his time on the mountain with Master, and finally his last home with Tomoe. But, none of them where home anymore. He was a wanderer. Suddenly a hand thrust itself in his line of vision. Startled he looked up at the woman offering her hand.

"Kenshin." Kaoru smiled. "Welcome home."

The startled samurai blinked, then an awkward smile stole across his lips. Her smile grew wider. Then she laughed as a single tear slipped past his hopeful eyes.

_Deep inside this armor, the warrior is a child…_

The once proud warrior stumbled into his wife's arms. Together they collapsed in the orchard outside her dojo. Their bodies were wrecked by time and disease, but their eyes shone with love. "Welcome home, Shinta." She said, smiling weakly.

He smiled back at her. He didn't quite know where he was, or even who he was, but he knew he loved this woman. He knew he loved his Kaoru. He sighed in contentment as he felt her hand brush his blood red hair away from his face. She was talking, but he didn't know what she was talking about. Her voice was soothing though, so he merely smiled and watched her. "I…love…you." He whispered as a single tear slipped past his innocent eyes.

_The warrior is a child._

She paused in her rambling and looked down. Brushing back his bangs, she smiled when she saw his scar was gone. "And I you, Shinta." Sighing happily, she joined him in his peaceful slumber.

* * *

(1) Kenshin was a slave before Hiko found him, and acording to most fuedal laws and society, once a slave always a slave.  
(2) The first people to buy Kenshin were the slave traders (as far as anyone knows) and acording to most laws about slaves, finders keepers.  
(3) I'm not sure if I spelled Hiko's first name right. if I didn't I appologize. 

**A/N:** Well, that's all she wrote. I think this is either my second or third oneshot to be posted. I hope you like it. Please review, and remember, constructive criticism is welcome, but please don't flame me. Other than that, Thank you for reading this humble fangirl's little ficcy-pooh.


End file.
